Maria Theresa
Syllabification: (Ma·ri·a The·re·sa)
Pronunciation: /məˈrēə təˈrāsə, -zə/
Definition of Maria Theresa
- (1717–80), archduchess of Austria; queen of Hungary and Bohemia 1740–80. The daughter of Emperor Charles VI, she succeeded to the Habsburg dominions in 1740 by virtue of the Pragmatic Sanction. Her accession triggered the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48), which led in turn to the Seven Years War (1756–63).